Tuesday, 25 September 2007
KITSCH
Kitsch
Kundera spends considerable energy to define, describe, and investigate the role of kitsch in communist society. "Kitsch" is a German word that loosely means inferior, sentimental, and/or vulgar art. Although kitsch claims to have an aesthetic purpose, it tends to simplify complicated ideas and thoughts into stereotypical and easily marketable forms. Kitsch appeals to the masses and to the lowest common denominator. It is the world of greeting-card poetry and velvet Elvis. For kitsch to be kitsch, it must be able to evoke an emotional response that according to the book "the multitudes can share."
Kitsch then is essential for the emotional and intellectual control of a populace in a totalitarian culture. In a system that requires all people to feel the same way about a particular event or state of being, kitsch works its magic. As Kundera writes, "Those of us who live in a society where various political tendencies exist side by side and competing influences cancel or limit one another can manage more or less to escape the kitsch inquisition: the individual can preserve his individuality; the artists can create unusual works. But whenever a single political movement corners power, we find ourselves in the realm of totalitarian kitsch.” Kitsch, according to Kundera, is devoid of irony, since "in the realm of kitsch everything must be taken quite seriously."
Understanding kitsch brings the reader to an understanding of Sabina: it is not communism that repels her; it is communist kitsch such as the May Day parades and the art of social realism. And those who criticize kitsch, or for that matter call it kitsch, must be banned for life because it is the expression of individualism that poses the greatest threat to the totalitarian regime. Kundera concludes, "In this light, we can regard the gulag as a septic tank used by totalitarian kitsch to dispose of its refuse."
Kundera spends considerable energy to define, describe, and investigate the role of kitsch in communist society. "Kitsch" is a German word that loosely means inferior, sentimental, and/or vulgar art. Although kitsch claims to have an aesthetic purpose, it tends to simplify complicated ideas and thoughts into stereotypical and easily marketable forms. Kitsch appeals to the masses and to the lowest common denominator. It is the world of greeting-card poetry and velvet Elvis. For kitsch to be kitsch, it must be able to evoke an emotional response that according to the book "the multitudes can share."
Kitsch then is essential for the emotional and intellectual control of a populace in a totalitarian culture. In a system that requires all people to feel the same way about a particular event or state of being, kitsch works its magic. As Kundera writes, "Those of us who live in a society where various political tendencies exist side by side and competing influences cancel or limit one another can manage more or less to escape the kitsch inquisition: the individual can preserve his individuality; the artists can create unusual works. But whenever a single political movement corners power, we find ourselves in the realm of totalitarian kitsch.” Kitsch, according to Kundera, is devoid of irony, since "in the realm of kitsch everything must be taken quite seriously."
Understanding kitsch brings the reader to an understanding of Sabina: it is not communism that repels her; it is communist kitsch such as the May Day parades and the art of social realism. And those who criticize kitsch, or for that matter call it kitsch, must be banned for life because it is the expression of individualism that poses the greatest threat to the totalitarian regime. Kundera concludes, "In this light, we can regard the gulag as a septic tank used by totalitarian kitsch to dispose of its refuse."
Monday, 24 September 2007
SECTION 6 QUESTION TIME
Learning Objectives
1 To begin analysing and interpreting the happenings in section 6.
1 How and why does Kundera believe Stalin's son, Yakov dies?
2 What do we learn about Yakov`s relationship with the lightness of being?
3 Why does Kundera praise Yakov Stalin's death?
4 What do we learn about shit in relation to religion?
6 What is Kitsch and how does this embody the life of Sabina?
7 Who or what is Sabina's lifelong enemy?
8 Why does Sabina think she is unable to survive emotionally for more than a few days?
9 Why does Sabina hides the fact she is Czech?
10 Who does Sabina live with and why?
11 Where is Franz living?
12 What makes Franz decide to visit Cambodia?
13 Describe each of the categories of men that Kundera discusses.
14 What category does Franz belong to? Why? Who else also belongs to this category?
15 What category do Tomas and Tereza belong to? Why?
16 How do Tomas and Tereza die?
17 We are at this point introduced to Simon. What do we learn about Simon? Who does he begin sending letters to? Why?
18 What happens to Franz in Cambodia?
19 Who does Franz belong to when he dies? Why?
20 The words "A return after long wanderings" written on Franz`s tombstone. Why do you think this is?
21 Simon scribes "He wanted the kingdom of God on earth" written on Tomas's grave. Why do you think this is?
1 To begin analysing and interpreting the happenings in section 6.
1 How and why does Kundera believe Stalin's son, Yakov dies?
2 What do we learn about Yakov`s relationship with the lightness of being?
3 Why does Kundera praise Yakov Stalin's death?
4 What do we learn about shit in relation to religion?
6 What is Kitsch and how does this embody the life of Sabina?
7 Who or what is Sabina's lifelong enemy?
8 Why does Sabina think she is unable to survive emotionally for more than a few days?
9 Why does Sabina hides the fact she is Czech?
10 Who does Sabina live with and why?
11 Where is Franz living?
12 What makes Franz decide to visit Cambodia?
13 Describe each of the categories of men that Kundera discusses.
14 What category does Franz belong to? Why? Who else also belongs to this category?
15 What category do Tomas and Tereza belong to? Why?
16 How do Tomas and Tereza die?
17 We are at this point introduced to Simon. What do we learn about Simon? Who does he begin sending letters to? Why?
18 What happens to Franz in Cambodia?
19 Who does Franz belong to when he dies? Why?
20 The words "A return after long wanderings" written on Franz`s tombstone. Why do you think this is?
21 Simon scribes "He wanted the kingdom of God on earth" written on Tomas's grave. Why do you think this is?
Thursday, 20 September 2007
Clase Pepas y Cass tercera parte...EL REGRESO DEL JEDI.
ESSAY WRITING!! =)
How does the concept of lightness and weight change throughout the book.
How does Kundera represent changes of loghtness and weight through his novel.
Let's write and essay that fits the I.B. criteria for A1 english...YEAH!
Comparative:
Theme, Rhythm, Tone, Atmosphere, Rhetoric Imagery, Language and the effects it makes.
100 1011010 1110 01 0011 1100100101011 1001 0001001 0011101 01!!
Theme (Pg-13),Narrator (Fairy tales Omnipresents and omnipotents), Structure and Form (ternary, ritonello), Ideas and messages (in a bottle), Tone and atmosphere (stratosphere, ionosphere), Rhetorical Images (and words), Rhyme rhythm and sound FX (dog barking), Vocabulary, Conclusion (summarise and bring question back "2 THE FUTURE!")
FOUR AREAS:
Selection of the aspectsand it's treatment.
Knowledge and Understanding
Presentation
Language
How does the concept of lightness and weight change throughout the book.
How does Kundera represent changes of loghtness and weight through his novel.
Let's write and essay that fits the I.B. criteria for A1 english...YEAH!
Comparative:
Theme, Rhythm, Tone, Atmosphere, Rhetoric Imagery, Language and the effects it makes.
100 1011010 1110 01 0011 1100100101011 1001 0001001 0011101 01!!
Theme (Pg-13),Narrator (Fairy tales Omnipresents and omnipotents), Structure and Form (ternary, ritonello), Ideas and messages (in a bottle), Tone and atmosphere (stratosphere, ionosphere), Rhetorical Images (and words), Rhyme rhythm and sound FX (dog barking), Vocabulary, Conclusion (summarise and bring question back "2 THE FUTURE!")
FOUR AREAS:
Selection of the aspectsand it's treatment.
Knowledge and Understanding
Presentation
Language
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
SOUL AND BODY
Things that affect the body
Food, genes, ages, mind, excercise, beauty, health, surgical alterations, temperature, HEAVY METAL, environment, culture, the soul, feelings, religion, social pressure, social standards, sexuality, the media, alcohol, fashion, voice, music, ideals.
Things that affect the Soul
Family, art, health, sexuality, love, music, conciousness, environment, your needs as an individual, energy, karma, social pressure, past experiences, ideologies, spirituality, culture, disasters, war, relationships breaking up, famine, your body, other people, friendships, love.
TERESA S Body
She looks back to her mother and her body isnt anything. Its just a shell, nothing more. She examines herself because she sees another woman inside her. She wishes not to have those imperfections, however she begins to explore her body and Thomas helps her out in this task. She wants to view her body as Thomas does with his own. The sex that Thomas and Teresa have is not just sex it is also love. But with other people sex is just sex and there is no feeling of love whatsoever. Viewing the body as he does will bring them closer together.
Teresas Soul
She becomes influenced by the political influence of the war, the soviet war. The soviet invasion has a great impact on her soul as her way of life. Her mother affects her soul as well, the relationship, the hatred of her mother for her has made her negative and has affected the view of the world that Teresa has, as well as clouding her vision. Tomas affects her very much because she only wants to have him close but Tomas is not always around.
Her aspiritions affect her soul as well. When she begins to study photography she starts to discover the beauty in art. She motivates herself to have a cultural background, going to concerts and reading with the end of getting away of her past and especially from her mother because her inability to understand that she is her daughter.
His ideologies in love, sex and relationships.Tomas has forced his ideologies on her, she is at the moment a biproduct of the situation. Tomas makes her feel like unwanted and jealous. This does not create a positive effect on her mind. She is affected by her needs, the need of being with Tomas, the need of staying away from her mother and the need to understand the political situation and the beauty as well as the horrors that this war has caused to her land.
Tereza
She sees the body as a shell that is
Tomas
Tomas sees the body as a tool that complements his soul.
Here too perhaps is his passion for surgery and his passion for women coming together. Even with his mistress he could never quite put down the imaginary scalpel since he longed to take possession something deep inside, he needed to slit them open. (page 193)
Tomas draws reference to his role as a surgeon, making corelations between love making and surgery. The difference between being a surgeon and having sex is that by having sex, he does not need to use his imaginary scalpel. Also, it is a way of getting to know the human `I`. What makes a person an individual.
´He experienced a brief but intense feeling of blasphemy, then again, that was what attracted him to it! That was the "ess muss sein!" rooted deep inside him and it was planted there not by chance, not by the sciatica nor by anything external´ pg 187
´He had no desire to uncover anything in Tereza, she had come to him uncovered. He had made love to her before he could grap for the imaginary scalpel he used to open the prostate body of the world. Before he could start wonering what she would be like when they made love, he loved her´2003
Tomas`s Soul
Tomas deals with situations by being `light` and therefore spends little time thinking about `heavy` such as his soul.
Food, genes, ages, mind, excercise, beauty, health, surgical alterations, temperature, HEAVY METAL, environment, culture, the soul, feelings, religion, social pressure, social standards, sexuality, the media, alcohol, fashion, voice, music, ideals.
Things that affect the Soul
Family, art, health, sexuality, love, music, conciousness, environment, your needs as an individual, energy, karma, social pressure, past experiences, ideologies, spirituality, culture, disasters, war, relationships breaking up, famine, your body, other people, friendships, love.
TERESA S Body
She looks back to her mother and her body isnt anything. Its just a shell, nothing more. She examines herself because she sees another woman inside her. She wishes not to have those imperfections, however she begins to explore her body and Thomas helps her out in this task. She wants to view her body as Thomas does with his own. The sex that Thomas and Teresa have is not just sex it is also love. But with other people sex is just sex and there is no feeling of love whatsoever. Viewing the body as he does will bring them closer together.
Teresas Soul
She becomes influenced by the political influence of the war, the soviet war. The soviet invasion has a great impact on her soul as her way of life. Her mother affects her soul as well, the relationship, the hatred of her mother for her has made her negative and has affected the view of the world that Teresa has, as well as clouding her vision. Tomas affects her very much because she only wants to have him close but Tomas is not always around.
Her aspiritions affect her soul as well. When she begins to study photography she starts to discover the beauty in art. She motivates herself to have a cultural background, going to concerts and reading with the end of getting away of her past and especially from her mother because her inability to understand that she is her daughter.
His ideologies in love, sex and relationships.Tomas has forced his ideologies on her, she is at the moment a biproduct of the situation. Tomas makes her feel like unwanted and jealous. This does not create a positive effect on her mind. She is affected by her needs, the need of being with Tomas, the need of staying away from her mother and the need to understand the political situation and the beauty as well as the horrors that this war has caused to her land.
Tereza
She sees the body as a shell that is
Tomas
Tomas sees the body as a tool that complements his soul.
Here too perhaps is his passion for surgery and his passion for women coming together. Even with his mistress he could never quite put down the imaginary scalpel since he longed to take possession something deep inside, he needed to slit them open. (page 193)
Tomas draws reference to his role as a surgeon, making corelations between love making and surgery. The difference between being a surgeon and having sex is that by having sex, he does not need to use his imaginary scalpel. Also, it is a way of getting to know the human `I`. What makes a person an individual.
´He experienced a brief but intense feeling of blasphemy, then again, that was what attracted him to it! That was the "ess muss sein!" rooted deep inside him and it was planted there not by chance, not by the sciatica nor by anything external´ pg 187
´He had no desire to uncover anything in Tereza, she had come to him uncovered. He had made love to her before he could grap for the imaginary scalpel he used to open the prostate body of the world. Before he could start wonering what she would be like when they made love, he loved her´2003
Tomas`s Soul
Tomas deals with situations by being `light` and therefore spends little time thinking about `heavy` such as his soul.
Monday, 17 September 2007
SECTION 5 - LIGHTNESS AND WEIGHT
1 Explain the story of Sophocles` Oedipus and it`s relevance to the current political the current situation and to the story line of the novel?
FIND FIVE QUOTES TO BACK UP YOUR IDEAS.
LOTS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED!!
2 Why does Tomas lose his job?
3 Why do the police want to humiliate Tomas?
4 Tomas describes surgery as `Ess muss sein` or It must be! What do you think this means? Why does he give this up? How is this reference to Beethoven related to other aspects of the novel?
5 Explain how Tomas rejects heaviness.
6 How many woman has Tomas slept with?
7 How does he view these women? Whay does he compare these women to?
8 Describe some of the woman that he meets. Discuss what he thinks of them.
9 What part of his memory does Tereza ocupy?
10 What two men admire Tomas and why?
11 What events had caused him to become estranged from Tereza?
12 What does Tereza suggests they do?
13 Why does Tomas not want to upset Tereza?
14 Tomas decides to leave any happiness behind for Tereza. Why?
FIND FIVE QUOTES TO BACK UP YOUR IDEAS.
LOTS OF INFORMATION REQUIRED!!
2 Why does Tomas lose his job?
3 Why do the police want to humiliate Tomas?
4 Tomas describes surgery as `Ess muss sein` or It must be! What do you think this means? Why does he give this up? How is this reference to Beethoven related to other aspects of the novel?
5 Explain how Tomas rejects heaviness.
6 How many woman has Tomas slept with?
7 How does he view these women? Whay does he compare these women to?
8 Describe some of the woman that he meets. Discuss what he thinks of them.
9 What part of his memory does Tereza ocupy?
10 What two men admire Tomas and why?
11 What events had caused him to become estranged from Tereza?
12 What does Tereza suggests they do?
13 Why does Tomas not want to upset Tereza?
14 Tomas decides to leave any happiness behind for Tereza. Why?
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